The Scourge
by T.J.Lexx
Summary: Ares has trained Xena from childhood to be the perfect warlord he always knew she could be. But will Hercules be their undoing?
1. Chapter 1

**THE SCOURGE**

**Please read and review **

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters**

Hercules strode through the crowd looking for Iolaus. All around him were men sharpening swords, fastening armour and saddling horses. Never a man of war, Hercules wasn't looking forward to battle but he would stand by these men. The Scourge had come for Thebes. All Greece knew of Ares' vassal: clad all in black, wearing a mask with goat horns. It was said that the Scourge combined raw power with speed and a precision that made him unmatched on the battlefield. It was even whispered that the Scourge was part demon. Hercules had a feeling that he and the Scourge would cross swords today.

Hercules mostly ignored his half-brother's shenanigans but this was his home-town. Ares needed straightening out and so did this Scourge. Just then, Hercules sighted Iolaus and went to him. The two discussed strategy with the men, then rode out with the front line. Might as well get it over with.

She put on her clothes, then her armour, methodically but thoughtlessly as she had countless times before. She tied her hair up, then slipped on her mask. She fastened her gloves then stepped confidently out of her tent. The surprisingly sunny day was felt by her all the more because of her black clothing. She directed her men then made for the stable to get her horse. How many times before had she done exactly this? Almost 100 by now, she thought. She had been commanding Ares' forces for a while. She was the jewel in his crown. So successful were her campaigns that her notoriety had bred her a nickname: The Scourge. People from the towns she had conquered for Ares still trembled at the sound of it. She didn't know why. She wasn't as bad as most warlords. She tried to do things peacefully before attacking a village. She sent emissaries explaining that a temple was to be built to Ares, that he was to be given tribute and that food, drink and lodging were to be given to her men and any others flying Ares' banner. If they agreed, her army usually stayed just long enough to make sure the terms were implemented and then left, sans bloodshed. But more often than she liked, the people chose to fight and her army decimated them. She never commissioned murder of women, children or prisoners of war, the latter of which were usually sent back to their homes. Today was a fighting day. She knew that most of the defenders would die, her army would win and Ares would be glorified. It was just another day.

_From as long as I can remember, I've always wanted to be loved. Just knowing that someone cared about me always gave me this warm feeling in the pit of my stomach and the thought would keep me smiling for hours. Needless to say, for a warrior, this was very disadvantageous. On a battlefield, the difference between life or death is determined by your focus and if my focus is on someone else... you complete the thought. Even knowing that, I have always been driven by my emotions. That was actually one of the things Ares tried to drive out of me. Ironic that the thing he hated about me, was the thing that kept me binded to him. Although I can't blame him because it was also the thing that led me away from him._

_I grew up in a temple. Ares' temple. He told me that someone just left me on his altar when I was a baby and, try as they might, the priests couldn't find my parents. They took it as a sign that I was meant to be dedicated to the god of war so they fed, clothed and educated me throughout my childhood. They were a bit cold but it wasn't so bad. I played with children from the village and I had friends so I was happy. My education was a bit biased. I was taught every thing a child my age should know plus Ares, God of War 101. My reverence for Ares was superceded only by that of the priests themselves. I was dangerously close to fanatic; Ares was, to me, the greatest god, the only one worth worshipping. Even so, my life was somewhat boring. But... life got really interesting when i turned eleven. That was the first time i saw him._

_I was playing alone by the lake outside of the temple. I was laughing at how funny my reflection looked when the lake surface was rippled when suddenly, there were two reflections instead of one in the pool. I looked back and saw him there. Dressed all in black, with that serious look on his face, part of me wanted to run away. The other part, however, wanted to stay longer and study this strange, new man in more detail. He was at least six feet tall and every inch was forboding to me. I must've looked so strange just staring up at him but he just stood there and stared right back. Eventually he said, "After all these years in my temple, I thought u would have the decency to at least bow in my presence." I was a precocious pre-teen who was seriously pissed at having her sanctuary invaded, even if the stranger was incredibly intimidating. I screamed, "How dare you insult the great god! Pretending to be Ares when a puny human like you really could never compare! Ares will not forgive this insult. His vengeance will be terrible and complete. Be warned. Now go." Yeah yeah, I was pious AND melodramatic at 11. I turned to walk back towards the temple but didn't even take one step before an invisible force picked me up off the ground, tuned me around and brought me eye-level with the man. As those dark, angry, unfathomable eyes looked at me, into me, I sinkingly realised that the man actually was Ares. Only he could wield such power. My horrible shame and fear must have showed on my face because he released me and i dropped to the ground. Hard. I could hear him chuckling above me. I put myself in a supplicatory position, kneeling, face down._

_I could hear the amusement in his voice when he said, "Oh so now you believe that I actually am Ares?"_

_I was still too ashamed to speak and it would have been impudent of me to look at him so i stayed perfectly still. He chuckled again. "You certainly have spirit. And conviction. Those things will serve you well." I heard a rustling of paper above my head and then I felt a slight disturbance in the grass by my hands. "Take this to the priests."_

_I don't know how long I stayed in my position before I dared to look around. There was no one else there. I hadn't heard or felt anything when he left. There was a scroll by my hands, tied with a black ribbon. I hesitantly picked it up. After all, I had just insulted the God of War and he wasn't known for his forgiveness. That scroll could have made me implode for all I knew. Fortunately it was harmless and when I realised I was still whole, I ran back to the temple and shoved it into the hands of the first priest I saw._

_That scroll had to have been the most exciting thing to happen in that temple in my entire life there. Every single priest pored over that thing, even the High Priest who rarely left the sanctuary. They seemed in awe of it, and a bit confused. I pieced together that they all wanted to touch the scroll that had been touched by the Great God himself, but the message inked onto the papyrus was what confused them. I never read that scroll, nor was I ever told what it said._

_After all the priests had looked at and prayed and chanted over the scroll to make sure it really was from Ares, my things were packed and I was told to take them to the sanctuary and wait there. I was beyond surprised. The sanctuary was the most holy place in the temple, only the High Priest ever went in there. It was said that Ares struck the unworthy down "For how long?" I asked. They didn't answer me. I did as i was told with much internal trepidation. I didn't have to wait long though. As soon as the doors shut, a vicious wind whipped up around me. I knew it was supernatural because the sanctuary was completely sealed; no windows and only one door, which was shut. As strong as the wind was, my things and I were right in the middle of it and we weren't moved. In fact, it seemed to be keeping us in one place. The wind whirled around me and got faster with every passing second. I don't know if I was in the middle of that whirlwind for a minute or a month but at some point it became too fast for my eyes to follow and I slipped into black space._


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

The battle began like any other, the Scourge's battle-hardened men pushing back the inexperienced rabble from Thebes…But then she felt a shift somewhere in the middle. Her men were no longer pushing but merely holding their ground. On the right flank, she could even see her men being the ones pushed back. This was an unwelcome novelty for her and them but failure was not an option. They would not retreat.

After an hour or so of steady fighting, the battlefield thinned out and the Scourge saw why this battle was not so easily won as the others. She recognized him instantly: Hercules, her god's half-brother. While she admired his good works and renowned prowess on the battlefield, she needed him out of the equation. As soon as she finished off her opponent, she made for him. Her attempt to slash his neck was avoided by a twist of his that ended in a stab at her leg. She jumped to evade him and vainly slashed at his midsection. 'All the rumours of his fighting skills are true,' Hercules and the Scourge thought.

They were so well-matched they fought til midday. They had been fighting for almost 2 hours and to her surprise, the Scourge was tiring. She refused to show weakness but the sun and her fatigued body had other ideas. She and Hercules were circling each other when a wave of lightheadedness stopped her in her tracks. It had barely passed when a second, stronger wave drove her to her knees. With the third came a blackness that enveloped her like a blanket.

When Hercules saw his opponent fall, his first reaction was to stay on his guard. Ares was not the most honest of the gods and his disciples would be no different. After a while though, his heart got the better of him and he knelt to see what was wrong with the man. Grey clouds started to in fast from the east and Hercules knew they couldn't stay there much longer. He slowly lifted off the mask. The shock of gazing upon a woman's face kept him frozen there until Iolaus shouted for him. A thunderstorm had rolled in unnaturally quickly. Seeing their leader fallen, the Scourge's men retreated to the forest. The villagers returned to their homes. Hercules threw the Scourge over his shoulder and walked with Iolaus back to Thebes.

_The mortals could not then know that every clap of thunder was a roar from Ares. The thunderstorm echoed with his displeasure at seeing the Scourge defeated. Every bolt of lightening was infused with his rage at seeing his half-brother ride away with his Scourge. For years, Hercules had taken his father's love and attention. He would be damned if he got his Scourge._

The blackness of the Scourge's unconsciousness did not stay black for long. The memories danced and flickered through it like fireflies through dusk. She remembered the tornado that had taken her to Ares' palace. She remembered the years of long, arduous training sessions; sword-fighting, hand-to-hand, the spear, the bow-and-arrow, everything Ares insisted she master. She remembered all the conversations they had, about war and other things. One memory though pushed through all the rest to assert itself and was the most vivid of them all. Just over a month ago, she and Ares had been celebrating a massive triumph for her campaign. Ares had left a dress in her room he insisted she wear. It was black, of course, with a simple but flattering cut. It was off-the-shoulder and hugged her chest and midsection but flowed gently down to her feet. She thought it strange at the time but had acquiesced. They had eaten on the balcony outside his chambers. The balcony was in the clouds. It had been so beautiful to look out into the night sky. When dinner was over, she excused herself and was making her way past his bed to the hallway when she was stopped. He had caught her arm. When she looked back, he pulled her closer. She had never been embraced before and her confusion caused her to instinctively pull away. He wouldn't let her though. She had barely opened her mouth to ask him what was going on when he said, "Your devotion to me is unsurpassed and you know that I believe in rewarding those who please me. Reward, not punish. Trust me now. Trust me. Not another word."

He leaned in and kissed her softly on the neck. His fingers deftly opened the back of her dress and began to slide it down. She felt anxious and strange, as if she should stop it. But one did not defy the Great God Ares. One did not. Ever. Her dress hit the floor. He pushed her back gently onto the bed and lowered himself above her. He tilted her chin up so she was forced to look into his eyes. Ares' eyes had always reminded her of an oncoming storm, she could see his anger, his strength, his will, his sheer determination and the fuming rage he kept in check just barely, all swirling in those deep, brown eyes. As soon as she had lost herself in them, he pressed his lips against hers. He pulled off his vest, letting his lips leave hers for just that one moment. When his lips met hers again, there was more force. His tongue pushed past her lips to tease hers. All the while, his hands stroked their way down her neck to her breasts. As he lowered himself fully onto her and settled between her legs, he kneaded her breasts with his palms. Underneath the confusion, it did feel nice to be touched like that, she thought.

His lips dropped a soft peck on her chin before treating her neck and chest similarly. His tongue teased her nipples into hardened peaks while the tip of his forefinger massaged her clit. She was beginning to accustom to his ministrations when she felt a pressure between her legs. She felt a slow, steady push into herself. She didn't gasp in surprise, she didn't groan in pain. She lay there and looked over his shoulder and told herself he had a reason for doing this. He buried himself in her again and again at a steady pace, not too fast, she was thankful for. There was a reason. There had to be a reason.

Hercules studied the sleeping figure on his bed. He had had to sneak her into his home for fear that the villagers would, at the least, imprison her. He watched the rise and fall of her chest underneath the bare underclothes she wore. He had undressed her to attend to her battle wounds but there had only been a few bruises. Not only did he not know why she had collapsed, he wondered what he would do with her when she woke up. But the question that kept re-asserting itself was, How did this young girl end up doing Ares' dirty work?


	3. Chapter 3

The fire had almost burned down when the Scourge woke up. She glanced around. The scarce light from the fire barely illuminated Hercules' sleeping form in the middle of the floor. She guessed that the bundle in the furthest left corner was her clothes and weapons. A cool breeze tickled her shoulder. She turned it its direction and felt along the wall. She grinned. There was a window and it was shut but not locked. She felt all around the window and then slowly and as noiselessly as she could, eased it open. She couldn't risk going over Hercules for her things; she had to leave them behind. She eased herself up on the bed, careful not to let it creak too loudly. She looked outside. Good. The window was only a few feet from the ground. She carefully stood up on the bed, sat on the windowsill and eased a leg out. She then ducked under the sill and swung her other leg out. She dropped and hit the ground lightly.

She looked around. Luckily it was a full moon, otherwise she would have been blind. All she could see were houses. There was no light so it seemed the village was sleeping. She knew there would be guards at the edge of the village where the battle had been so she couldn't go that way. There was a stream on the other side of the village. On the other side of the stream was the forest they had camped in. She could cross the stream and double back to her camp. She didn't really have her bearings but she could only know where she was if she started moving.

Homing instinct was truly a strong one. Within a few minutes, she had found herself just behind the guards at the west end of the village. She ducked back into the shadows of the houses. At least now she had an idea. If this was the west end, she should head back. The stream was at the southeast end. She turned around and went, more quickly this time. She made sure not to make any noise though. A village under attack was always on guard. She heard a whispered rushing on the breeze. She kept on going the same direction, she rounded a tavern, then another house and found herfelf by the stream.

She laughed and splashed through it. Once on the other end, she broke into a sprint towards the forest edge. She was so glad to be free, she didn't notice the miniscule movement of the bushes between the trees she was heading for. She didn't see the rope on the ground but she heard when it was pulled up and she felt the hard ground when she tripped over it and fell.

Hercules grabbed the Scourge's outstretched arms and tied them. Iolaus pulled and looped the rope she had tripped on around one of her feet and held the other end. She struggled but they both knew she was overpowered.

Hercules had had a feeling she would try to run so he told Iolaus to spend the night at a tavern in the middle of the village. Chances were, wherever she ran she would pass there. No one else would be out and about that time of night with a hostile army so close. Iolaus saw her pass twice before he ran to the house and told Hercules her direction. Hercules had had a feeling she would head for the stream and the forest anyway, smart girl she was. As smart as she was however, she did not know the village and would therefore bumble around for a bit. Hercules hadn't even been sleeping when she left. As a servant of Ares, he couldn't be sure she wouldn't try to cut his throat.

Now here she was running back to her army. But he wouldn't let her get away that easily.

"Off to rally your men for a surprise night attack are you?"

No reply.

"Or maybe you were going to tell them to call in reinforcements since we weren't as easy a victory as you thought."

Still nothing.

Iolaus chipped in. "Maybe she was gonna burn the village. It's the perfect time. Everyone in their houses. Off their guard. Night means they can't see where to run." On the last word, he jerked the rope and made her stumble. Still she was silent.

"Maybe you'll talk in front of the magistrate, because that's where you'll be tomorrow morning, answering for your crimes," said Hercules, "or maybe you'll talk to the hangman, just before he pulls the lever."

When the Scourge still refused to speak, Iolaus jerked the rope and began to head back to the village.

"Just so you know, my men will probably attack tomorrow much more aggressively because now they will (a) want to rescue me and (b) want to save face. I was on my way back to camp to tell them that Hercules defends Thebes and we should move on. Believe me or believe me not, makes no difference to me, but if you're smart you'll take me to my men now. Otherwise, this village will bleed. It's women and children will burn."

Hercules challenged her, "So why should we deliver you to your men? You might double cross us and attack anyway. You do work for Ares and he's not exactly known for his honesty."

The Scourge cracked a smile, "I am not Ares. Besides, if you take me to my men now, I will tell them not to attack and return with you as your prisoner. You caught me fair and square…twice."

Hercules looked at the young women before him. In her he could see strength, anger and confidence, all traits he knew Ares probably loved, but as hard as he looked, he saw no falseness in her. He looked at Iolaus, who was also looking for the lie in her eyes. After a pause, he said, "Lead the way."

The Scourge lead Hercules and Iolaus through the dark forest to her army's camp. She fumbled a few times but they made it eventually. When they were within view of the camp, she stopped and looked back at Hercules and Iolaus.

"Give me more rope so I can go further ahead of you," she said, "They'll be less likely to attack you."

Iolaus acquiesced and they advanced toward the camp. Many soldiers saw their leader and ran to her, almost attacking her captors. She stopped all of her would-be liberators. They stowed their weapons but continued to follow them through the camp. By the time they ducked into her lieutenant's tent, quite a mob had formed.

Darion had a whore in his lap and a cup of wine in his hand when the trio entered his tent. He hadn't been celebrating so much as trying to escape his fears. Ares would not be happy that the Scourge had been captured and he had killed men for less. He had never been so relieved as when she stepped through the flaps his tent. His bubble burst though when he saw she was tied to the men behind her.

Before he could say anything, she spoke. "I was captured by Hercules of Thebes. No harm was done to me. I was not captured by trickery or false assurances. It is my wish and my command that the army move on and spread the glory of Ares to other villages. Thebes is defended and to be left alone. I will remain with my captors, as is only right."

Darion could have sworn his heart stopped just then. He would never deny that it was the Scourge's words he heard or believe that she was being forced to say them. He knew her as honourable enough that this was not the case. But he would not give up his commander that easily.

He turned his attention to Hercules. "I have hundreds of men outside who would think nothing of slitting your throats. Do you really think you could fight off that many? Let her go and go back to your little village."

"If we release her, you'll kill us," Hercules replied. Just then, Iolaus jerked the rope, pulled the Scourge back to him and pressed a knife to her throat. Then he said, "What are the chances one of your men outside could kill me faster than I could cut her throat? Willing to bet on those odds?"

The man had responded just as Darion had expected but warriors for Ares could never resist a well-placed threat. He had no choice and he knew that. He looked at the Scourge. He spoke softly but urgently and a bit desperately, "What do I tell him?"

Without pause she said, "You tell him exactly what I told you. Tell him you followed my orders."

She had barely finished talking before Iolaus pulled her out of the tent. The three of them made their way through the camp under the angry scrutiny of her men. Just as they reached the forest line, she heard Darion give the command for them to break camp and move out. She knew he would follow her orders; he always did. But now she was really and truly on her own.

On their way through the forest, Hercules said, "I doubt people called you the Scourge all your life."

After a pause she replied, "If that was a roundabout way of asking my name, Ares called me Xena."


	4. Chapter 4

Xena stuffed the straw into the hole in the roof them wrapped the wire around it, tight enough to hold it but loose enough to let it spread out. Then she secured it to the other part of the roof. She exhaled then wiped her sweaty forehead. It was so hot out and she had been up on this roof for hours but she couldn't come down until she had finished.

Hercules, Xena and Iolaus had arrived in Pylos a couple of days ago and Hercules had made sure she was kept busy. Hercules had decided that Xena needed to see the damage her army wreaked before he handed her over to village authorities. So they had travelled to one of the villages she had already conquered for Ares. Xena was about to explain to Hercules that she didn't do any damage. She never touched the actual village and never killed any prisoners taken; she never attacked by surprise and never overstayed. He had cut her off, saying he knew how she operated, and while she was a great deal more merciful than normal warlords, she was still a warlord and they did damage.

He showed her how many women had lost their husbands and children had lost fathers and parents had lost sons fighting against her. Usually the able-bodied ones, their loss was like a shot in the leg for some families. That was why she was fixing the roof, and had been fixing roofs, and windows and fetching water and clearing bushy areas for the last few days, doing what the men would have done. Hercules and Iolaus were doing similar odd jobs. They hadn't told the villagers who she was, she was just a friend of Hercules'. She honestly hadn't thought the loss of their young men could hurt a village so much. As displeased as she was to have to do this work, she was somewhat glad to know what her "conquests" really did for a village.

Pylos looked a great deal like most other villages. Houses of wood and straw scattered around, a few taverns made of the same but a couple floors taller smattered here and there. She knew though that there was a structure unlike anything else in the village on the other side of town and she so wanted to see it. As soon as she finished her job, she climbed off the roof and made her way through the town. She saw the women talking amongst themselves between the houses, she saw children playing in the streets. She couldn't help but smile. Sometimes she wished for a normal life like this. These people didn't know how lucky they were to be completely ordinary. When she passed through the market though, her smile disappeared. The smell of raw meat heat her like a chariot and went straight to her stomach. She barely had time to run to a gutter before she brought back up her breakfast. She wiped her mouth and made sure none of it had spattered on her dress. This was the second dress she had worn in 10 years and she was protective of it, as simple as it was. It was grey, had short sleeves and flowed straight down to her feet. She had tied a black piece of cloth around her waist so it wouldn't drag on the ground.

Pulling herself together, Xena resumed her journey. Within a few minutes she had found the building she was looking for: the temple of Ares. Her men had built it before they left. It was a rectangular building made of grey stone. More sprawling than tall, it boasted a ram's head above the front door. She stepped inside and felt that strange contentment she always felt inside one of the god's temples. She guessed because she had been raised in one, it kind of felt like coming home. There was a statue of Ares in every corner of the room. A burning brazier below yet another ram's head held pride of place at the front of the room. Xena had just begun to move toward it when she heard a commotion to her left.

"I told you I can't afford to pay any more-"

"Ares requires full tribute, child, and nothing less will suffice!"

"Please, we need this money for food."

"I care naught if you and your family starve but the Great God of War will have his full tribute!"

A priest was harassing a young boy for more monetary offering to Ares' coffers. He was trying to wrest a purse from the young boy's hand. Xena rolled her eyes. She knew better than anyone that some priests had a bad habit of "skimming" from the temple coffers to support their own pleasures and she could see that this one had a love of wine. It was disgusting that the priest tried to take from these people what they did not have and she would not allow it. There were crossed swords over shields in between the Ares statues mounted on the walls. She grabbed a sword and made for the struggling duo.

"Let him go, priest. He's given you tribute enough."

"This is none of your concern, "spat the priest, "Stupid girl, are you going to attack a priest in a temple?"

"Well, you see, I actually know Ares and I know that blood being spilled in one of his temples actually brightens his day so…"

"You think the god I worship will not protect me in his sacred place?!"

Xena laughed. "If you have that attitude, you bet he won't help you."

This priest was arrogant. Xena knew he wouldn't concede peacefully. Without warning, she flicked the sword and rapped the priest on his wrist, forcing him to release the purse. The boy, still pulling away from the priest at the time, fell onto the floor. He didn't waste any time though in picking himself up and running out of the temple as fast as his legs could carry him.

Xena waited until the priest finished his tirade how she, her mother, father and all of their ancestors were unintelligent female dogs and rabbits. Then she purposely stepped closer to the priest until she was almost nose to nose with him.

"You will no longer rob these people. They will offer what they can and no more, do you hear me? Their money will not be line your belly with wine."

"I will do as I please and as the Great God of War commands. You have no right tell me other wise."

Xena raised her eyebrow, then raised her skirt so that her right thigh was visible. On it was a tattoo of a ram's head, its horns big and out reaching. In between the horns, above the head were crossed swords dripping blood. As the priest looked on, she intoned, "War is bloody and glorious." With those words, the ram's eyes glowed a fiery red. A drop of actual blood appeared on the end of one of the swords and ran down her leg. She dropped her dress.

"Do you still doubt that I have to power to chastise you?"

The priest shook his head furiously, refusing to meet her eyes.

"You will not abuse these people."

He nodded.

She took her leave then, walking out of the temple and back across town.

Hercules was washing himself off in the spring and mulling things over. They should be soon able to leave Pylos. He, Xena and Iolaus had done all they could for the people and Xena had so many more villages to atone to. Even he had to admit, she was turning to the job with more good grace than he had expected. She worked hard, finished the jobs he set, he could even see a little remorse now and then. What he would give to know how Ares had gotten his hooks into that girl; she didn't seem like the type he normally took under his wing. He could tell she wasn't particularly cruel or rough or savage. She was entirely devoted to Ares and his cause though and that was dangerous enough. But maybe he could change her perspective.

He had heard today how she had helped one of the villager's sons in the temple. The mother had wanted him to pass on her thanks. Although he was glad to see some goodness in her, the description of the incident served to compound what he already knew about Ares' servants. They did everything with sword in hand and weren't afraid to use it. He was trying to reconcile the warlord with the mostly quiet girl in his charge when he felt movement in the water.

He turned around and saw Xena some 6 feet behind him, near the shore. She, like him, was unclothed but submerged in the water. She made her way to him with a mischievous smile playing on her lips. She got so close that, with one more step, she would have been pressed against him but he stepped back before she could get that close. She kept coming though and he kept stepping, so the two of them were more or less going in a slow but constant circle in the middle of the spring.

"You look tired," she said, "All that hard work in the village I expect. Your shoulders look so tense. Let me rub your shoulders. You'll feel so much better."

"No," he quickly replied, "I mean, I'm fine."

"Oh come on," she pressed, and twisted her body so she was now behind Hercules. She swiftly moved forward, grasped his shoulders and began to knead. Many times, she had given Ares massages when he was stressed so she knew what she was doing. Hercules didn't move her hands. To be quite honest, he was tense and her magic fingers were rubbing all the tension right out it felt like.

While massaging his shoulders, she came to press herself right up against his back. When she knew he could feel her soft breasts behind him, she leaned in and planted a soft kiss on his neck. The soft kiss became a caress of her lips and tongue, up and down his neck, a nibble on his ear now and then. All this time, she never stopped rubbing his shoulders. She could feel that his body was totally relaxed and smiled. It was working. She took a hand off his shoulder and placed it on one of his cheeks. She turned his face to her and gently touched her lips to his. Then Hercules grabbed the hand that was on his cheek.

"I just wanted to see how far you'd take it," he said.

"Take what?" she murmured.

"Ares 101: if you can, use the enemy's own body against him or her. If your seduction didn't work, you would hope that your actions confused me. If all else fails, confuse the enemy until he or she starts to make stupid decisions. Stupid decisions that would end up costing them the battle."

She stepped back off of him and studied him anew. How could he have known that was what she was doing? She had been believable. She would never doubt that.

"During my massage, you activated the pressure points to dull my senses, thus making me more susceptible to your 'charms.' What you forgot is that I'm a demigod. It takes more than that to slow me down."

Hercules turned away from her then and made his way out of the water. He ducked behind a bush to dress himself, then left without another word to her. Disheartened by her failure, Xena too got out of the spring and dressed to return to the village. She had barely tied her sash when she looked up and saw him not 3 feet away, staring at her.

She sighed. "Is there something you want to say, Ares?"

"Oh, there's plenty I want to say," he replied in that supercilious way he did, "but I figure I'll give you a chance to stammer whatever ridiculous excuse you have for this first."

"No excuse, I was captured. I'm doing penance for my crimes. That's all."

"You didn't look very penitent just now. In fact, that might just be as sinful as I've ever seen my holier-than-thou half-brother look ever."

"He's not holier-than-thou," Xena murmured before she could stop herself.

"Don't you dare, DON'T YOU DARE do that. Not with me. Not you. Not you too. I can't take another person harping on , telling me how great he is. And don't think I couldn't see that you were starting to enjoy that."

Xena scoffed, "So what if I was? Maybe I could have a little fun with him bef-"

She never finished that sentence. Ares grabbed her face from under chin and tipped it toward him. He fixed his steely gaze firmly on her before he continued. His tone was surprisingly calm and belied the rage behind his eyes.

"Enough. Get away from him. Rejoin your army. Continue the campaign. I'm not stupid, Xena. I know that everyone wants to get away from their lives sometimes, get a break. I know and I understand. You just want a little time away from the fighting and bloodshed. Maybe to spend time with normal people, not soldiers, a little peace, a little normalcy."

Ares's hand was now caressing her cheek affectionately. For a moment, Xena thought he understood. Then he continued.

"But you belong to me. If I want you to fight, you will fight. You will conquer. You will bring glory to my name and you will do it when I say so and I say I want you to do it NOW."

She should have known it was too good to be true. He dropped his hand, turned and walked away from her. Just before he disappeared he said,

"Don't forget you're consecrated to me, Xena. I can see what you do if I want and I will not be pleased if I see you underneath Hercules. You're mine. Remember that."


	5. Chapter 5

Xena, Hercules and Iolaus were walking down a path through some woods, the sunlight twinkling at them wherever it broke through the tall trees. The quiet of the woods was broken only by Xena and Iolaus' laughter. As they walked a few paces behind Hercules, Iolaus regaled Xena with some bawdy story of one of their more humourous adventures. Originally so distrustful, Iolaus had really taken to Xena in ecent weeks, Hercules had noticed. But then again, Iolaus could never resist a pretty face for long. Hercules was glad for the slight separation on this trek. He had things to mull over.

His original plan had been to take Xena back to some of the places she had conquered so she would see the error of her ways, then hand her over to the authorities. As things stood now, however, he didn't see that as necessary anymore. So then what could he do? He couldn't let her go back to being a warlord but eventually they would run out of towns to take her to. Hercules knew in his heart that they had to part ways, more for him than for her. He refused to let her see it but their moment in the river had affected him. He realized that he did have some kind of feelings for her but it didn't matter. She had only tried to seduce him to get what she wanted and even if she did feel the same way, they could never be together. Ares had tainted her too much for him alone to heal.

Hercules mentally shook himself and turned his mind to brighter thoughts. In the town they were going to now, there would be a festival of love so at least he would get to see his favourite sister, Aphrodite. She could always put a smile on his face.

Dossia was a hive of activity when they arrived. They literally had to push their way through the thick crowd to move even 2 feet. There were red streamers and flags flapping from the tops of every house and stall. Red hearts were painted everywhere like graffiti, a large one on a tavern wall, a dainty, intricate one decorating the shoulder of a young maiden. With the amount of flower petals in the air, people would have had to be constantly throwing them to the wind. Xena should have been scanning the town to get its layout but it was near impossible with so many people around.

Xena saw a young man shyly hand a rose to a maiden who took it blushingly. Around the corner, an old man placed an exquisite flower wreath upon an old lady's head, who he then kissed on the cheek and hugged. It wasn't really Xena's scene but it was so sweet, she couldn't help but be caught up in all the lovey-dovey hype. So much so that she didn't realize when she got separated from Hercules and Iolaus. She didn't even notice that she was being ushered along by the crowd until she was bumped and almost fell down right in front of a temple.

There were identical stone statues on either side of the steps leading up into the temple. The statues depicted a woman, slender of body but full of breast and hip. Her hair tumbled past her shoulders in a careless way that most women would die for. Her head was cocked to a side and her luscious mouth had a crooked smile that beckoned unknown, carnal mischief. As gorgeous as the statues were, Xena knew the woman they depicted made them look like Gorgons in comparison. She made her way up the steps and past the red streamers and flags and stuffed hearts until she entered the temple.

The temple itself was hung with pink and purple curtains one had to push through every second to move through the space. The ground was covered with soft pink and purple cushions, to represent the lush ambience Aphrodite was known for. Xena walked past the barely clad girls hurrying hither and yon preparing for the festivities and the naked couples making love on the cushions like they were the only ones there. Slightly elevated on a mountain of cushions at the front of the room was the goddess, taking everything in with a lazy, but pleased eye. She was wearing her usual pink brassiere and underwear with lacy excuses for a scarf and skirt to cover her. Three handsome, muscular men massaged her shoulders, thighs and feet while two more fanned her with palm fronds and another fed her grapes.

Xena must have stuck out as the only full clothed person there because Aphrodite saw her and called her. As they talked, Xena saw the Aphrodite had lost none of her exuberance.

"Dude, I have been wanting to talk to you for ages. What the hell is going on with you? You left Ares, now you're exploring Greece with Hercules, what? Ares was _not _happy about that whole capture thing, lemme tell you."

Xena explained to Aphrodite everything that had happened since the battle at Thebes. They had met while Xena was still living with Ares. The consummate girly girl, Xena had found it impossible not to crack a smile whenever Aphrodite floated into a room. Somewhere in the middle of her diatribe, Xena realized that Aphrodite's look had gone from interested to studying. When she had finished talking, she asked Aphrodite what she was looking at.

Aphrodite promptly replied, "Your heart."

Xena rolled her eyes. She was quite aware that as the goddess of love, Aphrodite actually could do that, but it didn't make it any less sappy.

"And what do you see in my heart?" Xena asked teasingly.

More serious than Xena had ever seen her before, Aphrodite replied, "I see a struggle. Fierce one too. You're hiding it really well actually. There's an old love, strong love that's got a hold on you but there's something…new there too. Something now that's pulling you away from your old love. You don't know if you should give that one a chance because it's new and different, you want to go back to your old love even if just for the familiarity. Ooohh they're just battling away at each other in there."

The last line made Xena laugh. She was the goddess of love but even Aphrodite had to get it wrong sometimes. Xena did not love. She was devoted to Ares. She cared enough about Hercules and Iolaus not to want to see anything happen to them but that was it. She was enjoying this hypothetical trip down love lane with Aphrodite though.

"Hmm," she said, "So what do you suggest I do about this battle in my heart? How do I get it to stop?"

Aphrodite smiled then. "Come on, you know this," she said gibingly, "You pick one and hope for the best."

"Is that really the only thing for it?" Xena asked, chuckling.

"Well, unless something so monumentally huge comes along that makes them both seem irrelevant," Aphrodite said with raised eyebrows, "speaking of which…"

Hercules hadn't seen Xena since that morning when they lost her in the crowd. He had thought she was trying to run away again until he and Iolaus went to see Aphrodite and she told them that Xena had gone off enjoying the festival. Hercules raised an eyebrow at her. How did Aphrodite know Xena? Aphrodite had been about to answer him when she was whisked away by one of her followers for festival preparations.

He and Iolaus had been sampling the town's festivities for the whole day, Iolaus some of the more delicate "festivities." But Hercules had fun all the same. That night they made their way to the temple. Aphrodite had made them both promise to come to her own private festival. It wasn't Hercules' scene but he would show his face so his sister wouldn't be disappointed.

They walked into a certified love den. The temple was not decorated any differently than it had that day but the light was very low and a sweet smell hung in the air. Most of Aphrodite's half naked female followers were all around the room dancing but a few had already taken men to the cushions. The men were servers but some of them too had been taken to the cushions. Hercules turned around to remark to Iolaus about their surrounding and hit empty space. Great. He should have known. Hercules was about to leave when one of Aphrodite's followers put a cup in his hand, her hand around his neck and started to dance.

He didn't see her face at first. The light was low and his head felt a little light. She was dressed in black lace, but to Hercules, she might as well have been naked for all it covered. Without thinking, he took a sip of his wine before trying to tell the young lady that he was on his way out.

She either didn't hear him or pretended not to. She pressed her hips to his and rolled slowly and sensuously to the music. After skimming her hands down his chest and arms, she turned around and pushed her butt against his crotch so he would feel every pulse of the music as it rolled off her hips into his. Hercules seemed to have lost the desire to leave. For a while, he just stood there, drinking the wine and let the young women in black lace consume all his attention. So much did she consume that Hercules did not notice that they were almost upon the cushions until they fell onto them.

Hercules felt as if in a dream. Everything was swirling and had fuzzy edges but he liked it like that. S long as she kept dancing, he never had to leave. The young lady in black lace slithered on top of him after he fell and planted one soft kiss on his lips before kissing her way down his body. That was the only time that evening he saw her face.

She made short work of his trousers. Hercules didn't even remember if she took them off, shifted them or ripped them off, all he knew is that they were gone. What he did feel was her soft lips on his cock, sucking their way from the head to the base. He groaned his pleasure. His hand found its way to her hair and wrapped itself in it. He pushed her right down on his pulsing member and made her stay there. She sucked him harder than ever, wanting his release to be close. When she felt it near, she pulled herself away from him hand and got astride him. She eased herself onto him slowly, as much to prolong his pleasure as for her own self. He moaned and bucked, taking her by surprise. Her gasp caught in her throat when he ripped away her flimsy bodice and palmed her small breasts. His hands massaged her breasts and squeezed her pert nipples and his hips pounded into her again and again. She let her head fall back as she held on to him for dear life…or dear sanity. What his cock was doing to her had to be beyond the limits of the ordinary mind. It felt so good. Every time he pulled out then drove himself back into her warm wetness, she got a little closer to her own edge. His strokes became faster and harder. She didn't know if she could take much more of this. It was too much, too good. He surrendered to her exquisite torture with a gasp. Floating in a sea of bliss, he opened his eyes to get a good look at this young lady in black lace but his head was still foggy. It was as if he was trying to touch her but she was made of smoke. He never got a hold of her. Hercules couldn't even focus on that long. Swirling colours and shapes smelling of sweet grapes in summertime overtook him.

Xena could hear the sounds of Aphrodite's festivities even as the ship slipped away from dock. She watched Dossia, with its red streamers and painted hearts, get smaller and smaller in the moonlight. A sadness she quickly suppressed threatened to make her go back. But no. This was her choice, her life. Hercules would not forgive her for running away but he would have a good life as long as he was smart enough not to come after her. Maybe a part of her did want to stay with him but some things in life were more important than what you wanted. Like devotion, and loyalty…and love.


	6. Chapter 6

_Three months later…_

Their swords collided with a sharp clang and quivered, both of them trying to push the other back. The midday sun glinted against the steel. Eventually Ares won out. Hercules fell on the grassy field and rolled back onto his feet. He stayed at a distance from Ares, twirling his sword, baiting Ares to rush him. Ares, with a cry, obliged him. Their swords clashed again, and again, neither seemingly tiring of their dance. They pulled swords and axes from the cadavers that littered the ground to batter each other when swords failed. Then Ares kicked Hercules in the belly and sent him flying. Just as Ares was bearing down on him to finish the job, Hercules grabbed a spear from the neck of a dead soldier and threw it into Ares' chest.

Ares stopped dead in his tracks and looked down, as if he couldn't believe there really was a spear in him. He grasped the spear as if to pull it out then chuckled. The chuckle grew into a laugh and the laugh became a bellow of mirth. Ares dropped his hands from the spear then disappeared in a cloud of blue sparks. 'Until next time, little brother,' were his parting words.

Hercules lay right back on the field with a heavy sigh and a heavy heart. Greece had turned into a complete warzone over the last couple of months. Battles were breaking out everywhere. Ares' warlords had done the impossible and become even more ruthless. To make matters worse, Ares was more hands-on now and seemed to be at every battle to make the warriors angrier and more savage. Hercules had fought with him in every war ravaged town he had visited. Even the other gods were at a loss as to how to deal with him and had asked Hercules to help. Hades' workload had quadrupled with so many more souls to allocate and manage. Hephaestus, originally happy that his blacksmith worshippers were getting work, was beginning to despair of Greece's iron running out. Demeter was furious that crop fields were being destroyed in battle and that farmers were neglecting their farms to go fight.

Hercules couldn't help them. And it seemed like no one could stop him. As dire as the times were, he had automatically pressed a knife to the throat of the magenta-cloaked person who had entered his tent yesterday. An unhooded Aphrodite had let him have it for that. After she had finished berating him about how to treat his favourite sister, she too asked him to do something about Ares. Hercules had hung his head.

"_What am I supposed to do? A whole country is falling to pieces because he feels like making his power felt and all the gods on Olympus can't stop him. What could I possibly do? I go from place to place and try to make things a little better but…"_

_His voice wavered off. Aphrodite took this as her cue to speak. She slowly walked across his tent as she spoke._

"_There is one person who maybe has a slight chance of getting him to…calm down."_

_Hercules raised an eyebrow. "Ares doesn't listen to anyone."_

"_Not now. But not too long ago there was one person who, if she couldn't change his mind, could get him as close to compromise as Ares could ever get. I'm the goddess of love, little brother. You can trust me about affairs of the heart."_

"_Well great. Why don't you go persuade her to help us?"_

"_Because I can't. Ares would know what I was doing before I did it. You however could slip below notice and go get her. Besides, she likes you. She'll listen to you."_

"_Wait…she likes me? I know this person?!"_

"_Very well actually," said Aphrodite with a grin. She handed him some papers. Hercules looked through them, one round trip and one return set of travelling papers from and a map of Eire. He looked at Aphrodite in confusion. She put and hand on his shoulder and set him down on his bed._

"_You need to know why she really left." She said._

Hercules had been on his way to the coast to get on the ship to Eire and had had to pass through a town currently at war with its neighbour. That was how he had ended up fighting Ares again. Hercules picked himself up off the ground and went to find Iolaus. He had a ship to catch.

A few days later, Ares was sitting on the altar of one of his temples. The brazier behind him had a roaring flame. He looked at the stone likeness of himself in the middle of the room. It was smeared with blood from top to toe. A manner of worship was for warriors to smear the statue with the blood of their enemies. The statue had never been so bloody and Ares should have been pleased but he wasn't. Today he was…pensive. He knew his half-brother had gone to Eire and originally said, "Good riddance," but now he wondered. He knew the other gods had asked Hercules to move against him and while there was nothing in Eire that could possibly hurt him, Hercules had thwarted him too many times for him to be nonchalant about this.

There was no one he trusted enough to do this. Well, not anymore. Ares pushed the memories back and swallowed. Why Eire though? There was nothing there that had anything to do with Greece. No one in Greece even cared about that place. The only person Ares had ever known to express an interest in Eire was Xena. Again the memories. She had had this weird desire to go there from childhood. Ares set his jaw and rose from his seated position. He didn't really want to go. As well as taking him away from his work here, Greek gods were significantly weakened outside of Greece. But Ares didn't like loose ends and Hercules was more of a loose cannon. He vanished from the temple in a cloud of blue sparks.

Hercules' boots sank into the sand as he and his friend Morrigan walked across the beach in Eire. He had just arrived in Eire and she had met him at the port. Morrigan had fiery red hair and a fiery disposition to match but she had a good heart and was one of the best warriors he had ever met. She was taking him to the place Aphrodite marked out on the map of Eire. Hercules hoped Xena was there. The fate of Greece depended on it.

He had been beyond shocked when Aphrodite told him Xena was in Eire. He thought she had gone back to Ares. Aphrodite explained that it was the opposite, she had run to a place she considered to be well past the eyes of any of the Greek gods. Hercules understood why she ran but he felt hurt she hadn't come to him and told her why she had to get away from Ares. He had even felt conflicted about asking her to come back even to get him to stop destroying. Only the Fates knew what Ares would try when he saw her but Hercules was determined he wouldn't hurt her.

Hercules and Morrigan reached a steep cliff face at the end of the beach. Morrigan had explained that the place on the map was at the top of the cliff and this was the fastest way to it. Hercules grimaced but started to climb.

Ares landed in a thick forest with a thump. The impact was enough to make him pause. Huh, pain. He was definitely missing his normal strength. He was looking around to get his bearings when he felt a familiar tingle in the back of his mind. A familiar but recently absent presence but still unidentified. That could only mean that one of his ardent worshippers was here in Eire. Ares isolated the sparse connection, fortified it as much as he could, then pulled on it. As well as providing a telepathic map to this person, it would force them to come find him. He would need help getting things done in this strange country and who better than a devoted worshipper. Letting his mind steer him, Ares picked his way through the greenery with care.

"_Where am I going? Why am I going? WHY CAN'T I STOP?" With each step, the tingle on her thigh was slowly becoming a burning sensation._

At the top of the cliff was a small clearing surrounded by dense forest. Hercules pulled himself up onto it, then looked back and gave Morrigan a hand up. They sat in the mud, with their legs dangling over the cliff and studied the map. The place marked was a quarter mile from there, to the east. Hercules was sceptical about them finding their way through the woods when the sun could barely be seen through the trees . Morrigan just laughed at him. She knew how to keep course in a forest, she assured him. They had just gotten to their feet when the brush in the direction they were going began to rustle.

When Xena stepped out and walked toward him, Hercules couldn't believe his luck. She mostly looked the same as when they had parted. He crossed the clearing and embraced her. He hadn't known he would be so happy to see her. When he pulled back, he noticed the terrified look in her face.

"What's wrong? What are you afraid of?" He asked, laughing still at his good fortune.

"Hercules…" Morrigan's worried tone made Hercules turn to look at her, and then follow her gaze to the brush at the other side of the clearing, which had also started to rustle. Just then, Hercules realised that Xena had been trying to push past him and keep walking. But her movements were strange, almost robotic. He kept his hold on her.

When Ares' ebony-haired, black leather-clad form broke through the bushes and saw the three of them, it was as if time stopped. For three heartbeats, none of them spoke. The sound of the waves crashing against the cliff below faded to silence, even the sun chose then to disappear behind a cloud. Hercules would never forget the look on Ares' face when he lowered his gaze to Xena's swollen, pregnant belly.


	7. Chapter 7

Swords. ..Swearing… Steel….Shouting…

That was what Xena had expected when she found herself between these two men. Not this tension-laden, unnerving silence. Ares was staring at her belly like he had never seen a pregnant woman before. Hercules was at her side, ready to defend her at any minute and his gaze never left Ares. Morrigan kept looking between the two of them like she didn't know what was going on.

Everything raced through Xena's head in those hour-long seconds. Aphrodite telling her she was pregnant, her decision to leave Greece so Ares couldn't get to her or her child, the last night with Hercules…now it had all come to a head in the worst way possible and she had to explain.

Just then, Ares seemed to find his way out of his shocked fog and his face returned to its natural angry set. Seeing _her _was upsetting enough but finding her with _him, _like _that…_brought out every negative emotion he was capable of. He looked past the human oaf and right into her disloyal eyes. They didn't know his powers were limited here.

"Give me one reason," he said menacingly, "That I shouldn't kill you right here, right now."

With every word, he took a step. By "now" he was right in front of Hercules and almost directly in Xena's face. She was terrified but tried not to let in show in her face. She was consecrated to Ares so she did not fear death for herself, but for her child.

Hercules piped up, "That's low, even for you. Threatening a pregnant woman."

"This _pregnant woman_ disobeyed my orders and left my service without my release. She knows how strongly I value loyalty. She knew what she was risking."

"You don't own her, Ares. It's her life to live as she pleases. You can't kill her just because she cut you out of it."

Hercules' words stung. Deep down, Ares knew that was exactly what Xena had done. She had cut him out of her life and moved on like all their years together had counted for nothing. He would never admit to anyone how much that hurt. But a perk of being the God of War was that no one ever got away with displeasing him.

"Actually," Ares said with a sardonic grin, "I can."

With that, he grabbed Xena's arm and used the last of his power to transport them back to Greece. It happened too fast for Hercules to stop it.

"Damn!" Hercules said angrily. He began to pace the muddy ground. After a time, he made his way to the edge of the cliff and prepared to climb back down. Morrigan asked him what he was doing.

As he lowered himself over the edge he said, "Going to stop Ares from killing his own child."

She was falling, falling faster, falling deeper. Falling to where no one could catch her. She could see the ground. It was always there, always coming closer. She was always just about to hit it. She could feel the wind rushing past her. The utter helplessness of falling coupled with the panic of being just about to hit the ground and die was too much to handle. She was so afraid.

_Why?_

Through the haze of her fear, she heard a voice.

_Just tell me why you did it._

_Can you save me, she replied._

_Of course I can save you. Tell me why. And I'll catch you._

_You…you won't let me fall?_

_Never._

She was too terrified to speak so she opened up her mind to the Voice. She let him see the life she had led, full of blood and battle, at Ares' side. Gods help her, she had loved it but then there came something that superseded all of that. Involving herself with Ares was one thing but she knew that his world was no place for a child. Point blank. She had to go somewhere his Olympian eye could not see. She left Greece. She had to make sure he never…she caught herself before she revealed too much. She let the Voice see glimpses of her and Hercules together in case it wondered who her child's father was. Then she stopped sharing. That was enough to answer its question.

_Please. Help me now. You said you would. Don't let me fall._

The Voice did not reply, but Xena did stop falling. As she breathed a grateful sigh, her sensation changed to that of floating. She was on her back floating in a pond, while the overhanging trees shaded her from the brutal midday sun. Calla lilies grew around the edges of the pond, bouncing up and down in the breeze. She was back on the pond outside the temple of her childhood. She remembered how peaceful and protected she always felt here. She smiled and closed her eyes.

He had to kill her. He _should _kill her. She deserved it for running away from him. Even more, for running to _him._ She had broken his trust and there was no coming back from that. He knew that. All the same, he couldn't help thinking of the old days; she at the head of his army, spreading his glorious name with every battle. They had had a good thing, before Hercules captured her. It could all be traced back to him, her drifting away from him, her getting pregnant. Now she was carrying his child and she would always be connected to him…unless…No, she would never forgive him. If he got rid of the child, that wouldn't solve anything. He absolutely could not interfere with the child.

**sorry it's so short**

**Please read and review :)**


	8. Chapter 8

He reached out to her. She did the same, stretching her fingertips to him like she had to touch him if it was the last thing she ever did. When their fingertips touched, it burned with an intensity that would have put fire itself to shame. They intertwined their hands, fanning the flame. Smoke began to rise from their joined hands, barely belying the raw heat between them. He held her one hand and pulled her to him roughly. Now her naked body was pressed firmly against his moist, sculpted chest.

With one arm imprisoning her waist, he took the chance to appreciate the delectable woman before him. He could feel the soft fullness of her breasts against his chest while his hands explored her firm buttocks. It was in his nature to ravage her, take her hard and fast, and leave her burning for more. But he was trying something new with her: savouring the moment. He pushed the hand massaging her buttocks under the soft cheeks and through her legs to caress the warmness within. A soft moan escaped her almost immediately. He smiled and dropped a soft kiss to her lips while pushing her fingers deeper into her, always pulling back just before he could hit her spot. Denying her release now would make his sweeter later on.

The little minx gyrated her pelvis against his crotch, testing his self-control. He had just barely held himself in check when she wrapped her lips around his nipple, sucking and flicking it with her tongue. The other nipple was tended to by her very nimble, very soft fingers. She knew that was his Achilles' heel. Speaking of which, a pity that. He had actually admired the boy's pluck. The flame had receded to a slow burn. He took her by the arms, shoved her around and bent her over. He leaned back to admire the view of her generous butt upturned and ready for him before delivering a stinging slap to its right cheek. He heard her gasp at the pain and smiled. That was only the beginning of her punishment. He smacked her butt again just to watch the little jiggle it did from the impact. His erection growing painful, he took himself into his hand and guided it into her warm tightness. He let his head fall back as he groaned with pleasure. She felt so good. It was this, this right here, that made everything he had done to keep her worthwhile. The smoke rose from them again as the fire returned.

The door shut behind Hercules with a bang. He was too tired to bother with closing it slowly. He dragged his tired body to the table and sat down. He looked at the scroll he had readied this morning and almost lay his head on it. He was so sleepy but he had to write this letter to Iolaus now. Otherwise, who knew when he would get around to it. He flexed his hand and got down to it.

_Iolaus my friend,_

_It has been too long since I wrote to you, I know. But my life, like so many others, has changed so drastically in this last year. I have new responsibilities now and I know by now that you may have heard things so as your friend, I write to tell you the truth as I know it._

_When I got back from Eire, I looked everywhere for her. I asked every god and demigod for information about her and Ares but but no one would help me. When everyone stopped fighting even Aphrodite told me to leave it alone. She said that if Xena being with Ares meant that Greece was no longer a warzone, I should let them be. She promised to tell me if Ares hurt her and I agreed to walk away. But in my heart, I felt that something was wrong._

_Everything even seemed to be okay for about three months. Then I started hearing rumours of whole armies disbanding, specifically the armies of Ares' warlords. When I asked questions, all I got was more hearsay. People claimed that Ares is missing, hasn't been seen for months and that's why the warlords can't control their men. Soon after, these weird heat waves started._

_Then one day about four months ago, a basket with a letter was left outside my door. The note was from Aphrodite. She told me that the contents of the basket were precious and to be taken care of and protected with my life. She said that two unnamed gods have contention that's been building for months and it's about to get ugly. So that's what I've been doing for all this time: guarding what was in the basket. I can't tell you what was in the basket and that's mostly why I'm writing to you. I have a feeling that all hell is about to break loose and it's not going to steer clear of me. I need your help, Iolaus. I need you to come back. I don't think I can deal with this one alone._

Ares stood on his cloud balcony sipping warmed wine and staring into the night sky. He looked at the stars, searching for the constellations he knew. He looked at the moon, shining so serenely in the sky. He wondered to himself how two things could be as dissimilar and yet as close and the sun and moon. The sun, unlike the moon, burns harshly. It must make itself felt just because it wants people to know its power.

"You're thinking about him, aren't you?"

Aphrodite had come onto the balcony soundlessly and now spoke from just behind Ares' shoulder. Ares took another sip of his wine and said nothing.

"Or maybe," she continued, "you're thinking about her…but it's all the same now isn't it-"

"Shut up, Aphrodite," snapped Ares, as he turned around and walked past her into what used to be Xena's bedroom. She followed him.

"Don't take that tone with me, big brother," she said wilfully, "All of this happened because you were trying to control everything, as usual. She was a human being, not a thing."

Ares laughed sardonically. "Isn't that what gods do, control humans? Isn't that kind of our job?"

Aphrodite looked at him sadly. "If after all this, you still think that way, there's really no hope for you, bro. I still don't know how or why you involved _him_ though."

Ares' looked down then, and when he looked back up, his face was more serious than Aphrodite had ever seen.

"Didn't you ever wonder why someone would leave a child outside _my _temple? I mean, I'm hardly the most nurturing of gods. Didn't you ever wonder why, after years of living here, the other Olympians had never seen her, save you? Didn't you ever wonder why when I had her in the field she would wear a mask? I wanted her to be a warrior. She had to be able to fight. But I didn't want anyone to know who or whose she really was."

"Wait," Aphrodite interrupted, " 'whose' she was? I thought in your mind she was yours."

"She was consecrated to me during her lifetime but she was born under a god, like how demigods are born under their godly parent."

Aphrodite's eyebrow rose. "She's a demigod? Whose?"

Ares sighed tiredly. "She's not a demigod but she was born under a god. This god being the only one to have more control over her than me. That's why I went to him in the first place. I didn't…I didn't know he wouldn't give her back."

Ares' voice softened and faltered near the end. Aphrodite felt for him and stepped forward to comfort him but he held his hand out to stop her.

"I know," he continued, "that you came here to convince me to do the right thing, the peaceful thing but you have no idea how it feels to not have that one person in your life that…All you need to know little sister, is that I will do whatever it takes to get her back from Apollo."


End file.
